The Presidential Debate in a Nutshell: The Thin List of Action

[John Caelan]

Strip out the hyperbole, hubris, arguments and recollections over record, and take away the commentary on things we already know, then you have this emaciated list of Action Items actually mentioned by the candidates.


To the best of my ability, I have separated the wheat from the chaff, without prejudiced, and bulleted those statements that actually have something to do with goals or action. In italics, I tossed in direct accusations from one candidate against the other, mostly for context in the timeline, and bolded the main action points.

My threshold for ambiguity was very low. Nonetheless, it was thin pickings, I tell you. I think I counted four things total that would actually be a policy decision.

THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE SEPTEMBER 26, 2008

ON THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN


OBAMA:


1. “…Series of proposals that protect taxpayers…:”


1. “…Oversight… “$700 billion, potentially, is a lot of money.”

2. “…Money back and gains for Taxpayers…if the market -- and when the market returns.”

3. “…none of the money to…Golden Parachutes...”

4. “Helping homeowners.”


MCCAIN:

1. “This package has transparency in it. It has to have…”

1. Oversight.

2. Options for loans to failing businesses: “rather than the government taking over those loans.”

3. “I called for the resignation of the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.”


ON FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES IN APPROACH AS PRESIDENT


MCCAIN:


1. “I'm going to veto every single spending bill that comes across my desk.”


“Senator Obama is also proposing some $800 billion in new spending on new programs.”

OBAMA:

“Senator McCain is proposing -- and this is a fundamental difference between us -- $300 billion in tax cuts to some of the wealthiest corporations and individuals in the country, $300 billion.”


1. “I've called for is a tax cut for 95 percent of working families, 95 percent”

2. “…close corporate loopholes,”

3. “…stop providing tax cuts to corporations that are shipping jobs overseas”

4. “…tax breaks to companies that are investing here in the United States.”

5. “…a health care system that allows for everyone to have basic coverage.”


MCCAIN:

“Senator Obama finds objectionable…the business tax.”


1. “I want to cut that business tax. I want to cut it so that businesses will remain in -- in the United States of America and create jobs.”

2. “I want people to have tax cuts.”


1. “…every family to have a $5,000 refundable tax credit…purchase their own health care”

2. “…double the dividend from $3,500 to $7,000 for every dependent child in America.”


OBAMA:


1. “…if you make less than $250,000,…,then you will not see one dime's worth of tax increase.”

“Senator McCain talked about providing a $5,000 health credit. Now, what he doesn't tell you is that he intends to, for the first time in history, tax health benefits.”

MCCAIN:

“We had an energy bill before the United States Senate…It had all kinds of breaks for the oil companies, I mean, billions of dollars worth. I voted against it; Senator Obama voted for it.”

OBAMA:

“John, you want to give oil companies another $4 billion.”

MCCAIN:

1. “…give every American a choice:”

1. “…two tax brackets, generous dividends,”
2. “…the existing tax code or they want a new tax code.”


“…again, Senator Obama has shifted on a number of occasions. He has voted in the United States Senate to increase taxes on people who make as low as $42,000 a year.”


OBAMA:

“Look, it's just not true. And if we want to talk about oil company profits, under your tax plan, John -- this is undeniable -- oil companies would get an additional $4 billion in tax breaks.”

ON GIVING UP PRIORITIES BECAUSE OF THE RESCUE PLAN


OBAMA:


1. “…plan to make sure that, in 10 years' time, we have freed ourselves from dependence on Middle Eastern oil…”


1. “…increasing production at home...”
2. “…invest in alternative energy,…solar, wind, biodiesel,
3. “…developing the fuel-efficient cars…”


2. “…fix our health care system”
3. “…make sure that we're competing in education.”

4. “…invest in science and technology.”

5. “…make sure college is affordable for every young person in America.”

6. “…Rebuild our infrastructure”

7. “…broadband lines that reach into rural communities.”

8. “…new electricity grid to get the alternative energy to population centers that are using them.”


MCCAIN:


1. “…we've got to cut spending.”

2. “…examine every agency of government…”

3. “…eliminate ethanol subsidies.”

4. “…do away with cost-plus contracts…”


ON LEHLER REDIRECTING THE QUESTION OF GIVING UP PRIORITIES DUE TO RESCUE PLAN

OBAMA:


1. “…investing in energy in order to free ourselves from the dependence on foreign oil.”


MCCAIN:


1. “a spending freeze on everything but defense, veteran affairs and entitlement programs.


OBAMA:


1. “We are currently spending $10 billion a month in Iraq when they have a $79 billion surplus. It seems to me that if we're going to be strong at home as well as strong abroad, that we have to look at bringing that war to a close.”


MCCAIN:

“Senator Obama opposes both storing and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.

1. “…can create 700,000 jobs by building constructing 45 new nuclear power plants by the year 2030.”


(John’s Note: I had to quote Lehrer, because he actually said “rule the country”…I try not to stray from some degree of decorum when writing prose (that what I have music for) but are you f*$%$ kidding?)

ON LEHRER REDIRECTING AGAIN: “Are you willing to acknowledge both of you that this financial crisis is going to affect the way you rule the country as president?”

OBAMA:


1. “…have to make some tough decision…”

MCCAIN:

“Senator Obama has $800 billion in new spending programs.”


1. “I got plans to reduce and eliminate unnecessary and wasteful spending…”


OBAMA:

“John, it's been your president who you said you agreed with 90 percent of the time who presided over this increase in spending.”


ON LESSONS OF IRAQ

MCCAIN:


1. “This strategy has succeeded. And we are winning in Iraq. And we will come home with victory and with honor. And that withdrawal is the result of every counterinsurgency that succeeds.”

OBAMA:


1. “I think the first question is whether we should have gone into the war in the first place.”

2. “…we did not use our military wisely in Iraq.”

3. “…end this war responsibly.”


ON AFGHANISTAN

OBAMA:

1. “…I would send two to three additional brigades to Afghanistan.”

2. “…press the Afghan government to make certain that they are actually working for their people.”

3. “Deal with a growing poppy trade that has exploded…”

4. “Deal with Pakistan…”


MCCAIN:


1. “..get the support of the people of -- of Pakistan.”


OBAMA:


1. “…if the United States has Al Qaida, bin Laden, top-level lieutenants in our sights, and Pakistan is unable or unwilling to act, then we should take them out…”


ON THE THREAT OF IRAN


MCCAIN:


1. “…I have proposed a league of democracies, a group of people - a group of countries that share common interests, common values, common ideals, they also control a lot of the world's economic power.

2. “...impose significant meaningful, painful sanctions on the Iranians…”


OBAMA:


1. “…We do need tougher sanctions.”

2. “I reserve the right, as president of the United States to meet with anybody at a time and place of my choosing if I think it's going to keep America safe.”


ON RUSSIA:


OBAMA:


1. “…our entire Russian approach has to be evaluated, because a resurgent and very aggressive Russia is a threat to the peace and stability of the region.”

2. “...make clear that we have to follow through on our…six-point cease-fire.”

3. “…affirm all the fledgling democracies in that region”

4. “…countries like Georgia and the Ukraine…are free to join NATO if they meet the requirements”

5. “…deal with the proliferation of loose nuclear weapons.”


MCCAIN:


1. “…support the inclusion of Georgia and Ukraine in the natural process, inclusion into NATO.”

2. “make sure…the Ukrainians understand that we are their friend and ally.”


OBAMA:


1. “…alternative energy…plan for us to make a significant investment over the next 10 years…”


ON THE LIKELIHOOD OF ANOTHER 9/11 ATTACK


MCCAIN:

1. “…a better job in human intelligence.”

2. “…trained interrogators so that we don't ever torture a prisoner ever again.”

3. “…make sure that our technological and intelligence capabilities are better.”

4. “…work more closely with our allies.


OBAMA:

1. "...We've got to make sure that we're hardening our chemical sites."

2. "...I…believe that we need missile defense…”

3. “..focus on…Al Qaida.”

4. “…restore America's standing in the world.”

by John Caelan
http://johncaelan.blogspot.com/2008/09/presidential-debate-in-nutshell-thin.html